Healthy summer cool drink to quench your thirst-Aampanna

In summer we all want to drink something cool and healthy to beat the heat in summer. Carbonated drinks,sugar laden fruit juices are not the good options.In that case raw mangoes are good options which are not only good in taste
but are nutritious too.It contains ample vitamin C,vitamin A,vitamin B-complex,minerals like potassium ,magnesium and calcium and will help you regaining the minerals lost while sweating.It helps in healing of the stomach problems like indigestion, diarrhea, piles, dysentery, morning sickness, constipation and chronic dyspepsia.It also cleanses the human body, the intestines and increases the secretion of bile juice for better liver health.

so here is the recipe of Aampanna as your summer drink

Ingredients:

3 medium size green raw mangoes
1 tbsp roasted cumin powder
Black salt to taste
Salt to taste
2 cup water
1 tbsp Mint leaves (pudina patta)
Ice crushed
1 tbsp sugar
Direction:

Place the mangoes along with water in a sauce-pan and bring to a boil. Simmer for 10 minutes.Then remove from fire
Alternately you can pressure cook the mangoes with water till soft.
Let them cool and then peel the mangoes and get the pulp with the help of a spoon. Grind mango pulp along with water to a smooth paste.
In a pan take the pulpy mixture, add sugar and let it cook on flame till the sugar dissolves completely. Stir continuously lest you burn the mixture.
Remove from fire and add roasted cumin powder, black salt and salt.
Let this mixture cool down properly.
To make the drink : take a tall glass pour 1 -2 tblsp of the mango mixture and pour in chilled water till 3/4 th. Now add finely chopped mint and crushed ice.
Garnish with mint leaves and serve immediately.

Its the season of gourds.Lets make something interesting out of it.

Recipe of bottle gourd and brinjal roundels: serve for 2

Ingredients
Bottle-gourd medium-1/2
Brinjal round-1 medium
oil 1 tbsp
gram flour-2 tbsp
2 cloves crushed garlic
chaat masala to taste

Direction

Wash the brinjal and bottle gourd thorougly. Peel the bottle gourd. Chop the vegetables into roundels and keep aside dipped in water.Spread a thick layer of gram flour in a saucer or tray.Heat the non stick pan and smear it with mustard or olive oil.Take 2 pieces each of brinjal and bottle gourd.Shake away extra water and smear them in gram flour from both sides.Place carefully in the non-stick pan.Roast from both sides till brown with the help of a spatula.Serve hot with green chutney after sprinkling chaat masala and salt over the roundels.

Don't regret for slips but learn to balance.

Indulging yourself in small slips while following a healthy diet plan rarely disturb your plan so long as you are able to burn it off.It is harmful when these calorie accumulate before you have realise.It is always advised to balance your next immediate meal after cheating or to do some sort of physical activity to burn the extra calorie gained by cheating. It takes 7000 unburned calories to gain 1 kg weight.Following a diet plan does not mean regretting upon eating your favourite food. It is about eating all you need wisely.

How to build up immunity with seasonal changes?

 Our body is strongly influenced by our living environment and this is especially true with seasonal changes.We are now slowly entering into the beautiful spring season.With the onset of this season, dry wind flows during the days affecting our skin and lungs being in direct contact with the environment causing symptoms such as hay fever, dry skin, rashes, itchiness, asthma, and/or common colds.So our immunity must be strong to fight against all the seasonal changes.To empower our immune system during springs our diet must include cooling and moistening foods: pears, green leafy vegetables, lemon (not if you have reflux), honey, mushrooms, lotus seeds, cucumber, Chinese cabbage, eggplant.Avoid doing physical activities in very strong windy conditions.Avoid eating foods that are hot and spicy in nature such as: chilli, lamb, ginger, shell fish and deep-fried foods.

your food may be the reason for sleep disturbance.

What you eat and drink before bed can affect your sleep. For example, foods containing the amino acid tryptophan—a building block of the sleep-related chemical serotonin—could help you sleep. Foods such as eggs, chicken, fish, and nuts contain tryptophan. Carbohydrates make tryptophan more available to the brain, so if you're eating a light snack before bed, you might try something like a few whole wheat crackers or cereal with milk. On the other hand, foods that upset your stomach, such as fatty, fried, or spicy foods, are best avoided before sleep.

Alcohol might make you drowsy and help you fall asleep, but it can actually make it harder to sleep deeply and continuously throughout the night and should be avoided in the hours before bed. As you know, caffeine is a stimulant and it's effect on the body lasts many hours, so it is best not to consume it after the mid-afternoon.

There are certain foods that could promote better sleep, but the best choice overall is to eat lightly before bed (if at all) and avoid alcohol or stimulants like caffeine. Save larger, protein-rich meals for breakfast and lunch when your body needs the daytime energy.

Studies now show that people who are sleep deprived tend to eat more fat-rich foods, simple carbohydrates, and fewer vegetables, possibly because sleep loss alters chemical signals connected to metabolism and hunger.

Do not deprive your body from saturated fats.

Do not deprive your body from saturated fats.

There has been a growing trend of low fat/no fat diet among people as healthy lifestyle. Depriving body from fats means not providing balanced diet to the body.Saturated as well as unsaturated fats both are needed for good health.saturated fats such as ghee,butter without salt is recommended be taken in moderation and regularly.Saturated fats  are required for good skin,hair,joints etc. Ghee has been found to lower LDL cholesterol,aids in digestive process and has anti inflammatory and anti-cancer properties.